September 25, 2006

Close Quarters

The days here onboard start at about 4:00 am GMT and end about 7:30 pm GMT. 7:30 is supposed to be lights out! But it is the time that everyone can relax a bit and just chat, make some personal calls to family members, or simply look out the window and admire the views…

It is a nice a cozy feeling. As you may know, the station makes an complete orbit every 90 minutes, so when I talk about night don’t think of it as night on Earth when it is dark outside. The sun rises and sets during each orbit and you can watch 32 beautiful sunrises and sunsets over the course of the day.

During the day everyone is pretty busy with specific tasks assigned to each crew member by Mission Control in Moscow and Houston. The schedule is uplinked to the station with specific instructions for the activities as needed. There is a staff meeting call in the morning to make sure everything is clear, and another one at the end of the day to see what progress was made and to talk about the activities for the next day. Even weekends are not really weekends up here. The workload may be a little less, but there are still tasks to be done and systems to be repaired and educational programs to be completed.

At about 6:30 pm everyone gathers around the dining table in the Russian segment Service Module (SM). We heat up a few cans and hydrate some freeze dried food (soup, mashed potato, vegetables) and have a few laughs and share some space stories.

The long duration crew gets pretty creative with what they have available. After six months of eating the same fifteen basic meals, it could get a little tiring… In order to add some spice, they combine parts of different meals together to make new recipes ;-). From time to time they get a care package in the cargo containers sent up with the Shuttle or the Russian Progress cargo ship. The care packages contain some fresh food that has to be eaten basically that same day. You can imagine how good a fresh apple could be after several month of canned food.

Visiting space for a short while is one thing but staying on for half a year is another… You are a long way from your family and friends, and except for emails and short duration phone calls, you don’t have anyone else to talk to except your other crewmates. Right now the long duration crew is a combination of three astronauts or cosmonauts, but pretty soon the ISS Partner countries are planning to increase that to a crew of six.

I guess those of you in college and living in a dormitory can relate to it. There is one big difference though… When you get sick of your roommate you just step out and go walk for while or talk to someone else or sleep someplace else. Here, if you don’t like your roommate, there is nowhere to go. The next ride home arrives in six months and you better work on your interpersonal relationships 😉

But I must say, I have been absolutely amazed at how wonderful the astronauts and cosmonauts are. I don’t know how they get selected. Maybe they are all, like me, from planet K-PAX 😉 (sorry if you have not seen the movie you won’t get this!) But they are really intelligent, warm-hearted, peaceful individuals. Everyone I met in Star City and up here can be called superhumans… I honestly think we should get astronauts to run for presidency… they are great leaders with a unique perspective on the World!

So even though these guys and gals are in close quarters for six months or sometimes longer, they get along pretty well and they become lifelong friends. Up here their lives depends on how well they work together and how well they communicate… and when you have to establish such a strong bond, you cannot just cut it when you return to Earth.

It’s sort of like on Earth, if you think about it… We are all connected to each other by living on the only habitable planet in the solar system… we have no place else to go, at least not for a while… so if we don’t get along and blow up everything and create a mess of our home, well guess what? WE have to live with it…

Most veteran cosmonauts speak English and most veteran astronauts speak Russian. The funny thing I have observed sometimes is when a cosmonaut asks a question in English, his astronaut counterpart will answer in Russian. This is what I call mutual respect! If only we had more people practice it on Earth, we would have a much more peaceful place to live.

I’m sure there are days when one of them is having a bad day and cannot stand being around the others, but I also know that he or she makes sure that he does not take his negative feelings out on his colleagues. And the others also understand his or her state of mind and let him or her have a little more privacy.

So even though there is about 1500 square feet up here (about the size of an average three-bedroom house) filled with tons of equipment and the six of us with nowhere to go, we are having a pretty good time and enjoying it … or at least that’s how I feel 😉

Til tomorrow…
May the force be with you…

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276 Comments

Hey, This is my 1st comment on your spaceblog, I know which there is so dreamy place and hope which i can see the earth one day from there :DD
I love your photo from Iran in flickr ,
Thank you for all.

Nounoush Joonam Salam
Thank you so much for writing in such a detail! Every morning I log in and can’t wait to read your new mail. We are all waiting for your safe return and can’t wait to see you. Love your hair by the way!! Take some picture from Iran if you can and prepare yourself for Roxanne with some funny questions!!
Love you azizam – Nazdaneh

Anousheh – thank you again for a wonderful update – I’ve also noticed how cosmonauts and astronauts often have very high EQs (emotional intelligence quotients) – the level of communication, respect and positivism is noticeable and inspires me to be more like that too.

… 2 … 1 … lift off.
This was the moment when all your childhood dreams came true, this was your second.

Dear Mrs. Ansari, hi you up there in space.
I wish all your wishes come true when watching our so little but so beautiful Earth, the moment when tears of delight, dignity, prosperity, and pleasure rolls down from your eyes.

As I had promised we watched the place where all your wishes came true (ISS) on the Friday morning, 22nd at 4:50 (Iranian Standard time, 1:20 GMT) from our hometown: Shiraz. I’ve put one of the pix I took during the moment, in my blog. It would be a great honor for me if you could pay a visit to my blog and comment under it. Veeeery great honor.

How insightful! You’ve given us a wonderful, balanced picture of what life is like on the ISS. It’s incredibly moving to see intercultural cooperation in space, hovering above the gentle planet, I’m sure.

I wholeheartedly agree with you: I think astronauts might be much better at foreign policy than, say…oilmen, for one. 😉

Good luck and thanks so much for blogging from space! Can’t tell you how cool that is for us bloggers below. 🙂 Several great comments for you have been left on my site–I notified the parties and maybe you’ll have time to check them out when you return.

Hello Dear Anousheh
Thx for all this information… you are inspiring inspiring and inspiring!!
I am not at all a space freak but I really enjoy your weblog.
A sugestion:
why not continuing it as the president of Prodea?:)))

Impressive story! All true, the things you say. We should indeed be more carefull with our planet. Some Apollo-astronauts went into politics, but none of them made it president. But if you should decide to run for president, I’ll cheer for you and vote for you – if they let me. 😉

Hello from France, I watched Nasa TV this morning and in some sequences one could see the shining tiny layer that is our atmosphere, which is currently in such a bad state. I guess it must look really fragile from up where you are, and that the hope to go to other worlds one day is not really helping…

dear anousheh ansari
hi, i hope u are great. i enjoy for ur story.accroding to ur story astronauts and cosmonauts are great people that can work for a long time and get along together i want to say this statement “all of people to be happy and respect together” i am sure u want to say this statement for all of people in world. i wish all of people in with different faiths to live together without war and killing.

You are doing the first psychological study in the space. Maybe you should discuss with the astronaut and cosmonaut to understand better how they manage the proximity with others, what are their tricks, how long they could manage in the ISS,…

Concerning Newc comment : Ramadan is not a question in space, it’s considered as a journey…

Ramadan Mubarak Anousheh! We are praying for your and the crew’s safe journey home. May you be blessed to overcome the space sickness and conduct successful experiments for more travel. Keep up the good work. Live long and prosper.

Hello Dear Anoushe
This is Samira .i am an 21 old-year Iranian girl and i am Proud of you as an Iranian.Traveling to space is one of my big Dream and i hope by your efferts i can go to space once in my life.
Thank you and pray for all Earth people , i think you are more and more near to God.
take care

To a courageous heroine,Anousheh !
As an Iranian girl,I’m realllllly proud of you! you can’t imagine how amazing it is when you keep in touch with us,telling us all those wonderful stories of cosmos,how inspiring it is to see that
where there’s a will,there’s a way.May the great power of LOVE be with you!
Be coooooool
Sanaz

To a courageous heroine,Anousheh !
As an Iranian girl,I’m realllllly proud of you! you can’t imagine how amazing it is when you keep in touch with us,telling us all those wonderful stories of cosmos,how inspiring it is to see that
where there’s a will,there’s a way.May the great power of LOVE be with you!
Be coooooool
Sanaz
Tehran-Iran

It is such wonder feeling to write from here in earth from iran Tehran to you up there in space. I hope your trip be beneficial to
Human being and especially to Iranian people.
I’m trying to translate your writing to Persian languages in my web log.
May the force bless you…..

Pretaining to your comment about the close proximity everyone on the ISS lives in, whether for 8 days or 6 months…I can totally relate. I command a crew known as the Family Living Analysis on Mars Expedition (F.L.A.M.E.) at the Mars Desert Research Station. I must admit, we get all walks of life with different personal hygiene regiments and ways of living and when you stick them all in a two-story can for 2 weeks at a time some do fairly well while others…well, you can get the idea. 😉 With my crew it is the first time we have had chilren (under the age of 13) participate in the simulated martian missions and I must say that it has been a very rewarding experience. Just imagine..children living in space…can you imagine what a child would feel and how they would describe their first space experience !?!?

You have done a great job putting into words something that is really hard to explain. Not even pictures do it justice. But your descriptions of the way one feels, what things smell like and what it personally means to you gives us the need to strive to experience these wonderous experiences ourselves.

Cheers,

Veronica Ann Zabala-Aliberto
Arizona State University
School of Earth and Space Exploration

hi, i just wanted to say read your blog on startrek.com and i thought it was amazing that is so cool that you get to leave and see our planet from space it is a great honor and very touching thing to see our home planet that way, i wish best of luck and listen to plenty of music see you later then

Through your eyes and ears skillfully translated to words, we groundpounders get to share the on orbit experience. I am imagining myself in your shoes and wondering how well I would adapt to all the new inputs so foreign to us all? ZERO-G, tumbling inner ear gyro’s, up is down and down is up, drinking reconstituted water, watching the earth go by out the ceiling window, thunderstorms and lightning from the top, entire continents in a single sweep of the eye, stars so bright that they do not twinkle, not getting in the way of the crew and their work…..

Being an avid reader of NASA KSC & JSC, Apollo hardware manufacturers and Mission Control biographies (D. Slayton, F. Borman, M. Collins, N. Armstrong, J. Lovell, C. Kraft, G. Kranz, G. Cooper, J. Glenn, T. Stafford, T. Kelly, G. Wendt), I had a feeling for what kind of engineer/person went to space and the likelyhood of being able to get along together for extended periods in a not so roomy ship far from home. Personalities aside, your references to the physical aspects of the launch, ISS experience and lack of references to time (sunrise every 90 mins) must take some mental juggling to rearrange the benchmarks. I hope all the ground training prepared you for overcoming a feeling of sensory overload. Keeping the human platform stable would be a big challenge, at least for the first few days. I know the flyers on ZERO-G’s airplane are so mentally unprepared for the first experience in weightlessness that they break out in uncontrollable laughter as the airplane flies the parabolic arc. The sheer sensory overload turns educated, rational adults into 13 year old girls, screaming, giggling and laughing out loud! The emotional high is hard to beat.

Anyways, I’m rambling and you are up there where we all wish we could be. 😉

Thank you so much for your desription of your flight. This mean so much to me. I have been teaching kids about space for 10 years in Euro Space Center close to Brussels. You are the best to tell stories… Keep on helping us on knowing how is real life on board!!! Plenty of good things for the future. Hope one day you will come to Euro Space Center to share your trip as tourist and show those kids you are a real woman. When I was educator at Euro Space Center, I had once a little girl who was mission commander inside our space shuttle simulator. That day, I realized she could really be one day another woman in Space. She was 8 yrs old and acted better than adults in crisis and team management. Maybe she was an angel. Well, I wish at that time to have you as model to show that space is open to everyone of us if we have a dream and if we have determination. Keep on the good job. You are linking the East to the West and I am sure that because of you, our spacecraft, Earth, will be a better place to live during our race through the universe… during our struggle for life in the unknown world of deep space without limit… You are flying, we are flying with you!

Dear Anousheh….I think I speak for all of us down here on earth when I say….MORE PICTURES PLEASE!!! Your words are fantastic and I too am checking back almost every hour looking for the latest update. I cannot imagine that I would do anything BUT stare out the windows. Make sure you get a pic of you next to the large round porthole. More pics please!!! Love…Patrick

What an incredible idea to blog from space. I love your positive outlook on your challenges there. I shared with my boys their first lesson (they are 3 1/2 and 2 years old) in gravity because of your picture of the apple, my 3 year old was very impressed! Thanks for sharing your experience with the rest of the world!

Dear anoushe ,
again a nice comment from space to earth , still i can not believe it ,
i think that you know me now and i hope you wont be tired of my comments cause i writ several comments after getting your comments from space,
i want to say sth , dont think about how livig there for 6 mounth is , just enjoy the time and sunrises and sunsets

with your writting i can imagin that im there ,
waiting for new news from you from earth

Hi there Anousheh,
It’s great. i ‘ll be waiting for more photos. Say Hello to God and let us know more about space. Now i ‘d like to know your overview about the earth and the world we are living on it.

Hi there Anousheh,
It’s great. i ‘ll be waiting for more photos. Say Hello to God and let us know more about space. Now i ‘d like to know your overview about the earth and the world we are living on it.
Say my name loud on space plz.

Hi Anoosheh
You are really an inspiration for the all humenbeing i just have a quetion can you tell us how time pass in the space I mean what is your feeling about that it is like here in the earth or you feel time passes slowly or fast overthere? I hope that you got my question
best wishes

Dear Mrs Ansari,
Salam, I hope that everything is in great condition for you in ISS. Thank you very much for your brilliant mails. Me and my family wish you a safe and successful space trip.
I saw ISS carrying you two times from my house-roof in first and third of mehr. I experienced great moments.
god be with you.

Form today on the German version of Anousheh Ansari´s blog will be presented by me and my current team of female students who prepare for a career in space exploration. I will comment Mrs. Ansari´s blog with interesting facts about space education and my experiences as the first German woman who is seriously training for a space flight for four years up to now. I will also introduce people who support such a private space flight. I invest all the time and power of my training to encourage students to choose to study in the space-technology-sector and become an engineer or even an astronaut. To be out of an aim is a not existing feeling the Space Family.

I request every journalist, politician, head of staff-departments, school and university principal, enthusiast and engineer who is interested in the future of a generation of young German students to give full access to this translated version to your audience! Publish it!

Please remember the copyright of the author, the X-Prize Foundation and the translators!

Forward this mail or the link to people who are important to you.

Press Information

Together wit eth sixteen year old translators Nadine Trautner and Vanessa Gsettenbauer I will answer your questions on Anousheh´s landing day. I will also present my letter to Anousheh which will invite her to Germany and will be given to Anousheh by her medical on that day.

Hi Anousheh!
This is my second time leaving you a note. You really have become the eyes and ears for those of us who have wished to travel into space. You have touched on subjects that we deal with everyday in our own lives, and told us how they are dealt with in orbit, for both short and long time periods. You seem to be having an against-the-law amount of fun, and a wonderful learning experence at the same time. This is the first time I’ve ever seen “trickle-down” anything work, because you’ve made this so much fun and a learning experence for so many people down here. I bet that first hot shower or bath will feal like heaven.
There are people in the history of humankind, some good, some not-so-good, and some downright bad, who can be identified by just a single name or initials. It happens in politics, sports, music, history of all kinds. FDR or JFK, for example in US politics. When we think of human space exploration, I think it should go something like Yuri, Neil and Buzz, Anousheh..(all good, by the way!). When it became known that the world wasn’t flat, people of all economic and social classes looking to make a better future for themselves and their families started looking for the next boat heading west. Build the rocket, and people will line up, willing to risk everything, to make a new begining for the planet earth. I think we’ll call the people who start those future colonies ‘Anoushehians’ to remember the woman who flew above us and pointed the way to the future.
Up in the heavens somewhere Christa McAuliffe must be so proud of you. You are doing today what she had hoped to do 20 years ago, teach, share, and inspire the young (and old) to reach out and continue the journey.
I’ve got the time, a credit card not yet maxed-out, and the desire to make it out the X Prize Cup ’06, if only to meet you and say thank you for everything you have done. I just have to find a way to tell my girlfriend she’s not going. Time to go work on my “interpersonal relationships ” skills.
All our love, and a safe return.
Joe LePage Florida,USA

Gday Anousheh
How awesome to see this fabulous world form the space station.
You are living a dream that I have had from a child.
I will continue to follow your story.
I wish you and the fellow crew members all the best.

DEAR ANOUSHEH
Im sure you like humanity as much as you can,because you share everything that you think its important for everyone,it shows your love,your kindness,your intelligence,etc.
universe honors your personality.
with best wishes and safety return to the earth to continuing ur project for helping and serving to people

very inspirational indeed. I hope that one day everyone from this planet would be able to see the world the way you do now. Then maybe that time we will all realise how blessed we are to have such a beautiful planet. Keep on bloggin cuz we’ll keep on readin.

Imagine… we are able to respond to your blogs, and in a sense communicate, ah well, thats the internet for you. Lots of people from different places around the world are able to read your blog. Not only do we read but respond and in a fashion that really brings everyone close to each other and see the links we all have. I hope this will be written down in the history books as one of the first steps of humanity exploring space… 😀

Dear Anousheh,
Happy your first star trek, zero gravity. How wonderful you look on your photo having an apple floating in front of you. Amazed by your photo, my Mom, an adorable Kurdish lady, wished having a kitchen like ISS, not worrying about her porcelain dishes!
Please accept admiration and best wishes from my Mom, good luck to you and the ISS crew.

Hello Miss Young and Beautiful Lovely Lady, i was enlightened by what I have read from your Space Blog. You see, before that, I just keep wondering why there are such people like you that uses lots of money for such a trip, instead it be could use to save thousands of needy people below, but with everything you said in your Space Blog which focuses on brotherhood, inter racial and human cooperation and telling the world that this is the only planet we can call home, I think that could save not just a thousand people but the whole world. I hope you can make it too to the Moon, then Mars later.:-)

Let’s think if somebody is not ok someday, or has a bad day, he or she can wear her space suit, opens the hatch and get out into the space for an space walk, maybe it helps her get better?! I got the idea as a joke, but I am just wondering, can such walk really help mentally?, I know out of ISS it is a harsh condition, but maybe the feeling of being in an open place helps?!

Let us know how typing on keyboard is, or overal feeling of working with computer? Can you play computer games? does Playing 3D games makes one sick (like when you play with full stomach) ? Write more and more, even hobbysts have experiments who need to be done on ISS, and you are our only representative up there, so continue to experiment and find the answers!

Hi Anousheh
I hope all is well. I read about your trip and adventures in space. I know it’s an absolutely fantastic trip. I am wishing you the best.
With your experience and your knowledge of space do you think travel beyond our solar system will be possible in our life time?

Ms. Ansari,
Congratulations for your successful space journey. NASA wakes up the astronauts every morning with a song or music that they or their families requested. What kind of music did you request to wake up in the morning?

I think or hope Prot would have turned down the job as president. LOL. Who knows. It may indeed have broken his heart. I am pleased to see the days are going well and you are having an enjoyable time. I can only imaging looking out my window to see the Earth below in all her beauty. I am sure it must have made you a little misty. It does to me just thinking about you seeing it. Dare to Dream.

Thank you so much, Anousheh, for sharing your space pioneering experiences here and allowing us to participate with you in this way. Traveling in space has been my lifelong dream as well (some day it will happen!), so I’m a little jealous, but mostly happy and proud for you!!! And your blog makes it just like being there! My 11 year old neice, Stefanie, is half Persian, so I am thrilled that she has someone like you to be inspired and motivated by. Little girls with big dreams can become women with the power to change the world in a hopeful, positive way. You are a hero!
with lots of love & God bless,
Brook Mantia
Fremont, CA

For this fabulous blog! Your comments are very funny and interresting and your pics are wonderfull…
Thanks for all of these
Congratulations for this trip!
Take Care
Un bonjour d’un français résidant près des rocheuses canadiennes que tu dois sans doute apercevoir à chaque orbite 😉
Hello from a french guy who live near the canadian rockies that you see during your orbite!
Bye good road to you 🙂

I edit a guitar magazine in Australia and I was wondering if you could fill me in on the music situation up there in orbit. Do the astronauts/cosmonauts listen to music up there? What’s the most popular? What have you been listening to? Are there any guitars on the space station? Do any of the astronauts/cosmonauts play guitar? Any iPods? I’d love to hear from anyone up there on the subject.

Your geography teacher (at Jandark) follow your news and read your weblog every day. you are my best student that I have ever had. I am so sorry that your trip will be ended this week. I wish you a safe return.

Hi:
I write from Honduras, I don’t know if you heard about this small country in Central America, but you are a notice around the world. This is a wonderful blog The blog of space!!! is my first message to the space and thanks for the oportunity I hope that you read my message, is interesting that you share all happens whit you, maybe I, can’t go to the space but you transmit something that causes feels us since we were there. If you have the oportunity to send a greeting for my country it would be wonderful

Assalamualikum
Nice blog from outer space.Thank Allah for blessing your dream.
Your dream is also our dream down here. Thank you for sharing.
Have a nice stay, and look at us down here in Malaysia.Salam.

The ISS was too far down on the Southern Horizon last night to see. Clouds came up and that was that! I like your bedroom view…fabulous. There is a pass tonight at 8.14pm down here and it’s really very fine. But I’ll be lecturing wine appreciation. Maybe I’ll sneak out on some pretext or other. I always wonder about fresh food like apples and oranges, so at least you get some of that.

Anousheh jan,
Thank you so much, for having a great, big dream, and having the courage, tenacity, and faith in yourself, to fulfill it!
Thanks for the complete joy you are taking in it and for all the wonderful moments the you live up there to the fullest. Do it also on our behalf. Be jaye ma az har lahze lezzat bebar!

Hi Anousheh
Thanks For Your Days Description In Space.
I have Some Questions About You
1-Do you like resident In Space For All Of The Time?
2-What Is Main Factors Your Succifully?
Thanks A lot
Majid From Tehran

Hi!
It’s so great to have a look in the sky by your eyes… It makes spaceflight a reality and not only something we see on TV while peeling potatoes!
That’s truly nice of you to share with us your dream, tahnj U very much!
A french girl in Australia!

Anoosheh jan,
You and every news about you have become the highlight of my days since the first time I heard about your big challenge. When you descibe the things up there,I imagine myself in your place experiencing those beautiful moments. Thank you for being another big motivation to live our lives.

Dear Anousheh:
Such a brave woman!
I’m really admire your courage.
Have a nice trip and safety come back too.
God bless you (I think that you are nearest to him than me in this moment).
With love,
Ruben from Santiago, Chile

Astronauts as politicians? Senator John Glenn ’74 to ’98 (campaigned from ’64 to ’84). He did a lot for energy and weapons control.

These days, politics for the PC-generation is sadly leans more towards perception management a few days before voting. If future voters could be encouraged to gain a habit of spending a tenth of their PC-time to electronically watch their politicians, the standard of behaviour for politicians would be raised. Perhaps one e-mail a month informing your local politician what is important to you as a voter is worth the taxes we pay?

I have always thought of the world as having no borders except those that humans draw. As a species we waste many generations and much resources putting up, defending, then taking down the fences writ small in our minds, yet writ large upon our spaceship called “Earth”. Perhaps it is time a certain species to evolve further, less in the genes, more in the memes. Perhaps borders should only be drawn for biological quarantine purposes.

When you are above my hemisphere, I’ll be greeting “G’day” to you from Melbourne, Australia. When you are above my girlfriend’s hemisphere, she be greeting “Hi” to you from Ohio, USA. Enjoy your physical & spiritual journey and I wish you a safe trip home.

Where are you Anousheh?
No story for people on this messy bed of earth tonight? How can we sleep then? OK, I’ll tell you a story; Don’t come back yet! earth is more beautiful from where you see it. As, you said no border, no war! from here, I can see people are bombing and killing each other, either for oil, religion, or for something else! such a nightmare!
I wish I was there with you! far from all these, just looking at teh ebauty of our universe! tell us a story! I can’t really sleep without first reading your diary!
azar

Everyday, when I wake up I visit this blog. But today I had the feeling that I should express my feelings out.
You are lucky to be able to see the sun rise and set like 32 times a day, this reminds me of “The Little Prince”.

Please search the utter space and look for the planet from which HE came, you might be able to see the rose and the three volcanos.

Anyway, if you could see the planet, you are the luckiest. Otherwise you are still very lucky to be able to see the sun rise 32 times a day.

At first, I wasn’t very interested in knowing about the advancements in space. In fact, because of my choice in spirituality, I’ve been against all of it for the most part.

However, in reading about you, your posts, your intentions about this trip, and everything, I realise more & more how important this story is for all of us down here on earth to read about. You are correct; down here on earth, there’s so much fighting & mankind has been responsable for all of the negativity that’s been created. Up there in space looks so peaceful & so powerful (& you would know about that now too! lol!). When we look up at the sky at night when it’s clear & the moon is close to the earth, people should realise how small we as humans actually are & that there’s a being that’s so much greater than us.

Furthermore, as a muslim women, you must’ve been told by other muslim women that women should stay in the home & care for their kids. In Sahaja Yoga, we embrace the positives of all the relgions & our founder, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, has said that men & women are equal but not alike. Women are also the force behind the men because of the way that we can inspire & influence them without speaking, moreso with our actions. With that in mind, women must do something important, & here you are doing something very important without getting a big ego about it too! Ms. Ansari, believe it when everyone says that you are doing something great because you surely are in more ways than one!

Hello from Orange County, California. You are such an inspiration! Please keep up your wonderful blog! I’ve never seen such genuine joy and honesty in truly pioneering the exploration and experience of spaceflight! Please tell us if your stomach is feeling improved. I am wondering if scopolamine/dextroamphetamine patches may assist you in your feelings of space sickness. As an Earthbound doctor with orbital sights, I really hope you and the others who fly in orbit will share your insights. Please stay safe and come back to Los Angeles/Orange County soon!

It’s days that I’ve got addicted to open your Blog page and read your (or Peter’s) latest writings everyday. I worry when you come back to Earth I’ve lost this little flame of my old dreams too. Here, in Iran, I bet at least thousands of people who have access to internet follow your trip second-wise, even they face with silly problems like ‘site filtering’ which is done by governmental authorities here and just block some parts of your writings (esp. photos that still I’ve not seen due to that censorship). But, believe that many people (esp. teenagers) choose you as their role-model and fly with you minute-by-minute.

By the way, it’s the fourth comment I’ve sent but I’m not sure is recieved or not. Please, even if they are not presentable, inform me that you have read them. Thanks.

Hallo i am from benin, it is the first time for me to read your blog and i just want to tell you to keep tell us how it is to be on our head to see the sun and the moon more than two times per day!
alors par la meme occasion n’oublie pas de nous evoyer plus de photo je suis mm pas sur que tu lira ce mail!!!!
take care et du courage pour la suite des activitées !!!!

Today early morning while waiting to see ISS over Tehran sky, stars shining & dark blue sky so beautiful, ISS appeared from NW & a very beautiful shooting star appeared on the other side. It was so nice I was thinking about the greatness of universe & infinities which can be passed. Flying is a sleeping force within most of human beings, it’s so fantastic to be able to make a dream come true. Beyond earth time & space, u can imagine the supermoments of life. So nice experience. It’s so wonderful to feel those moments through u, thanks for sharing your experience, I enjoy reading your spaceblog & watching your pics & films. Go on & enjoy these precious moments.

Dear Anousheh,
Thank you for writing from space. You have pictured there amazingly. I was really surprized about how you should wash your hair and teeth over there.
Being an astronaut was alwasys my dream but I became an industrial designer finaly. May be I can be an astro-tourist one day. As an iranian woman with great dreams, I am really proud of you.

Hello Anousheh.
Thanks again for your explanation.I really hope to see the day that the kind and wise inter people like astronauts run for presidency.I`m sure that the astronauts look in a very different way to the world than the oil suckers.I`m 37 and never have voted for anyone,I hope some day i will vote for some astronaut.Please try to talk and push more in that direction!You also gave more hopes to the iranians.Thank you and Have a nice day!

Congratulations, way to go Anoush. Your trip is definitely as important as the first step on the moon. And who did it ? Not only a woman but also an iranian, i.e. a muslim woman. I am proud of you. Just a question, how is it going with Ramadan?

Hi Dear Anoushe.
This is Samira ,a 21-year-old ,an Iranian girl. i am proud of you and want to thank you for your space blog, it’a a great chance for me to feel what is going on in space. and i am sure by your great efforts we can travel to space once in our life.
thank you again and just take care because when you come back to Earth it will be a new life for you and i know you will know this life’s value more than us
Samira ….Pray for us

You are one of the lucky few ones from this planet to be able to watch were we live and how fortunately we are who have a small space in space were we can dwell. I wish I could be in your place right now and see the Earth as you see it, but most of all I would make a walk on the Moon and look back on my planet and ask “Why can’t we all live in peace when it looks so peaceful from my point of view”. So I think it is time for a human to take the next giant leap for manind and have a permanent residence in space by establishing bases on the moon and on Mars.

again you speak right out of my heart. Although I haven’t been up there myself I’m thinking the way you do. May your words be heard by the people in power! And what about you going to politics?
Thank you and all the best!

Anousheh
Your space travel is great.
Not only for being first woman astronaut tourist or first Iranian astronaut, because as I learn a little from this blog, your sight of view to this trip is very great.
You wish for all to have such a trip and try to make it possible by Xprize activity.
Hope you all success.

Hi,
my dear sister. Congratulation for your courage, and ambition. You prouved taht you’re a hard worker! I don’t know if time table would aloud you to tell me, how you feel as woman in the space? I gess you may enjoy this because it is your passion, but tell me your stress.
Have a nice day!

I hope you are having fun up there
Next time you have time to watch the Earth, especially Africa, think about all the good things that could have been done there with the money you are speading to satisfy your wondeful ego
Too bad the rich ones are not the great ones

Hello! Anousheh and all your fellow spaceship members as we should not forget them (Hi! you guys…)Bless you Anousheh…you are gifted in explaining to us what you see & feel…I thank you so much for sharing with us something that we shall never be able to do & you are so talented in relating to us the environment. I was a bit jealous of you being able to spend so much money on a dream & ‎now I’ve changed my mind since I found your blog…I’m so happy ‘cause I feel so close to ‎you…so it’s like you’re paying for my trip also…thanks.‎ You are the brightest star among all those stars, maybe next time a new Star is found we should call it “Anousheh”. You must be so proud that your name will go down in history.
Also thank you for your interpretation on the interpersonal relationships skills of you & your ‎fellow members. This makes me “SO HAPPY” (there should be a Smiley here only I don’t have one only on ‎my blogs, what about this instead…^_^…) to see different nationalities being friends in ‎Space…if only things could be like that here on our “Blue Marble”…everyone would profit from it…my ‎dream is that Mankind should learn to share what he has with others like you are doing.
I’m Irish/French living just outside Paris. If you ever come here please let me know, I would love to meet you but then again there are so many people thinking the same thing…humm
Now just for a bit of fun…do you look up the position of the Stars for to know what your ‎day/week is going to be like, or maybe you can just look out the window & talk to them – just ‎imagine how many people every day are interested in that…I’m Aries, can you just put in a ‎little word for me…please‎…(Pssh! I am looking for an interesting job, in photography if possible, thanks).
Pardon…excusez-moi…the phone, my daughter, when I told her that I was preparing a reply to the blog from the Woman in ‎Space she answered…Stop smoking the Carpet…but she finally understood that I was serious…
Once again, thank you for sharing these wonderful moments with us.
Bonne chance et à bientôt.‎

Luv, hugs & kisses to you all.
P.S. Any chance of a photo / autograph?

Dear Ms Ansari
I am an Australian living in Tokyo and you are an Iranian-born American in an Russian craft spinning in Space. The world gets more and more borderless everyday and so it should – borders are barriers after all. I too reflect the words and prayers of everyone else posting here in commending your amazing journey. You know how timely your journey given the less than cordial relations between the two nations that you call home. Let’s hope upon your return something magical happens to resolve that decades-old stand-off. It is long overdue.

I am french, and my english is not very good…
but I want to say Thank You for your very beautiful text from the space and the comparison between the life onboard and the life on the earth and what it could be.
Yes the problem is just to keep this high and nice point of view !
Thank You !

Dear Anousheh
i’m a amateur astronomy and industrial engineering student in tehran when i was child i wanted travel space and watch earth from over there but now … when you travel space everydays i read your weblog and i dream, i travel to space and watch earth you know you can to describe your around envirement very very good.please describe your eat food in iss.thank you
have good time

Hello Mrs Ansari, how are you? You’ve achieved such a wonderful thing I’m quite envious! And your blog is an excellent idea! Your comment about hygiene in space is very useful, I confess I more than once asked myself how “space tourists” managed to wash themselves and you gave me the answer, thank you for that!

When you’ll be watching our tiny earth from where you are, know that someone is thinking about you from Algeria…

Thank you soo much for sharing your wonderful journey with us!
When I read your posts, I feel like I am travelling in space with you (getting away from the stress of exam is wonderful! well, best kind of procrastination ever anyway! lol)
I dream about space a lot too! I would love to study astronomy at uni some day…
I just love the night sky, the stars… It’s just sooo beautiful and amazing!
I can’t imagine how beautiful the view will be like from the window up there! It must be ever so stunning!
I wish I can travel to space too, one day… (when I have enough money..haha.. actually, I just bought my first telescope with my saving money! 😀 … so hopefully, I’ll get there one day…haha)
Thank you for realising your dream and giving hope to the rest of the world, especially us youngsters!
Now we can say “dream on” truly without being sarcastic…lol
I’ll definitely keep reading your blog, so please posting! 🙂

Hello Anousheh
What a great privilege it is for you to be orbiting the earth up there with your colleages.Your detailed descriptions of life on the ISS give a far more insightful look at life in orbit than the sometimes dry fact filled timelines given by official sources. Keep up the good work!
As a long time space buff who became inspired as a school boy when the Apollo programme was announced in the 1960’s I envy you with your perspective from earth orbit. I have been a lifelong follower of the various National space programmes and am particularly excited now that private space efforts seem to be getting off the ground after so many false starts. Your support in the form of the X prize was particularly inspiring and I am sure it will go down in history as the kick start that got the ball rolling for the real development of manned space exploration. Congratulations and thankyou!
As an aside I visited Star City in early June of this year little knowing that you were probably in training at some adjacent building.We were shown the MIR mockup the accelerometer (wow that baby can really give you a ride!!!) and the neutral bouyancy training tank. A very memorable visit.
Keep up the good work and enjoy the re-entry on Thursday That will be some experience!
Regards
Mark Stanaway, Manjimup, Western Australia.

Its great reading about your experiences which you have put down so simply for all to read, understand and guage :).
Its a real pleasure also to know that you have made women all over proud by your achievements. Its a dream come true and you have pushed all barriers that seperate or discriminate women counterparts being unable to do certain things or achieve. you have shown all of us that there is no limit unless and until you draw one out for yourself. Kudos to you Ma’am 🙂

Thank you for making this post. We could all learn a bit from K-Pax, I have watched it at least twice. I get the message and I hope that others do also. I just ordered one of the “COEXIST” bumper stickers that are starting to appear, Maybe there should be one attached to the ISS. Have a safe return. The message you have sent is worth the substantial cost.

Tears came when i read your lines/thoughts, available in the Internet timeless nonspace…and here they are now, in our hearts. Reading you and I was Earth training for the rocket launch, then in Soyouz, then in Space, feeling sick for two days, then in the ISS, living above this beautiful planet of Ours. One and only… for now ?

We humans don’t know yet the power of a beam of light… But we know for sure the warmth of reading you, here, now. 32 little sunshines … Please continue.

One day i’ll work for Space exploration, for sharing, like you, this reality.

It’s so wonderful to see you floating around up there in the ISS. I wish you all the fun and success that you hope for in your journey. Thanks much for writing the blog. It’s interesting to read the many replies from many different countries. I’ve had a very keen interest in the space program since the early days of the mercury, gemini, and apollo programs. I still vividly remember the live pictures of Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon. The space program insired me to study engineering.

Our lives have over lapped in two areas. When you were a young child, I worked for a few years in your native country on the telecom network. I lived in Tehran and traveled to just about every area of the country. I really enjoyed my time there and found the people very friendly. I have fond memories of my time in Iran. I have a wonderful picture book on Iran called Persia, Bridge of Turquoise whick reminds of the many interesting place in Iran. Unfortunately, I’ve forgotten most of the farsi that I learned.

I admire your determination and success in life with your business and now with all your space endeavors. I hope your
recent visibilty will help insire many young people to make their life’s dreams come true. I wish you the best of luck and I’ll be continuing to watch your ISS mission and your other endeavors in the area of public sector space exploration.

Khoda Hafes(I hope I have that correct) and Best Wishes 🙂 from New England.

hi up there!
it is kind of exciting to read a blog that has not been written down here. I must be honest, I only have read the “close quarters artikel”, for that my boss wouln’t be so excited like me, the moment he realizes me reading in spite of working. Understandable for sure 😉
Its good to see that a look from up there, realizing how small our world is, makes someone think about holding that only place we have together and so I thought that you might be a little happy knowing that there are a lot of people that are using there time and skills doing this. Together with a professional sportsman, he and us a ,bunch of people, were using the creativity and engagement of schoolars, students and artists to collect money to buy water dispensers for far more than a hundred cuban childgardens…up there you schould have realized how precious clean drinking water is… and guess what, it worked in less than a year… and so we’re about to start the next project to support Ethiopia… it may be just a little thing, but for us its working and we have results. But now I have to get back for our second thing, making a magazin for some friends of us playin volleyball… So if you ever read this keep your fingers crossed for the ostbek cowboys 😉

As a woman, an American, and a biologist I want to thank you for sharing your experiences with the world. Though many astronauts may have expressed some of how they feel about being in space, the message does not always get through to the world. Instead we hear about the success or not of the mission. Eyes are on you and people are listening without your words being filtered through the media (or at least many of us can share your message uncensored. Thank you also for sending a message of love, peace, and understanding. In a world so full of violence, we need common dreams to unite us all. If only the countries of the world could communicate as well as astronauts, we could all live in safety and peace. I hope some day, your countrywomen will have the opportunity to follow their own dreams. I can’t tell you how much it saddens me that it has to be such a struggle. No man or woman should have to live through war or oppression. What can we do though? Only our best to try to touch at least a small part of the world and leave it a little better than it was. If everyone did their part, it would go a long way to increasing communication and decreasing the misunderstandings that endanger our lives and the lives of our children. I appreciate what you and your family are doing to help give the world a new dream.

Hello Mrs Ansari, how are you? You’ve achieved such a wonderful thing I’m quite envious! And your blog is an excellent idea! Your comment about hygiene in space is very useful, I confess I more than once asked myself how “space tourists” managed to wash themselves and you gave me the answer, thank you for that!
When you’ll be watching our tiny earth from where you are, know that someone is thinking about you from Algeria…

Dear Mrs Anousheh,
Thank you for sharing all your thoughts and feelings with us, it’s like we’re also up there with you, I never read such detailed and passionate accounts of a space travel… I was moved to tears (hope here at work no one has noticed that :-D)
It’s so good to read comments on this blog from all over the world, this is what you means when you say we’re all from the same planet!

Have a good time, un bacio (a kiss) from Italy!

P.s. I hope you feel better, after the impact with weightlessness… the fear of zero gee sickness strikes me everytime I dream of being in space!!! I even hate travelling by plane 😛

Hello,
Its my first comment at your blog. Your blog is really very nice & so much informative too. One day i would like to visit space & see the world how it looks like. Keep posting brilliant stuff & let others busy with your informations.
Regards;
Imran Khan

I know that mine will be one of a thousand messages, but I deeply congratulate you for achiving such a dream. I know your the happiest woman in the world and none can ever take that feeling away from you. CONGRATULATIONS FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HAERT. Probably there won´t be any other human being that could understand wat you feel now, but me.

Every morning begins with tea, feta cheese and reading your latest entry. After reading the one about the actual trip up to ISS, I must admit, your blog has moved ahead of the tea and feta cheese—a personal space I thought no one would ever occupy. Alas, I didn’t think “big enough”. I know of no one more deserving.

You have a beautiful heart, with which you have not just conquered “space” but most significantly you have filled the space in millions of hearts. Few have gone to “space”, but even fewer have accomplished what you are accomplishing everyday by being that which you are.

Big love,

Mahyad

PS… here is an appropriate quote by another pioneering woman:

I would not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum – Frances Willard

Well, sounds like you need to have more fun. I would show the crew how to make ASH and ghormeh Sabzi without rice! so mix up the available foods and I’ll bet you, they will always remember your creation!

Especially the one about the launch and the one about the travel to and entering the ISS were amazing. It’s like being up there with you!! Well.. I must say you are a sweet surprise and an amazing inspiration for us here on the ground…

Hi!!! This is a great honour that I can write to You – People who reaches final frontier. I’m sending this coment just to say that I admire You all. I wish to thank you to Jeff William and Pavel Vinogradov for every moment they share with all us here on planet earth. Those moments when thanks to nasa tv I can be with u in space made me feel more confident than ever becouse there is a bright future ahead of us and the very beggining of it we are all part of. I want to thank you to Anousheh Ansari for letting me sending this comment in space and who know perhabs someone on International Space Station will have a quick look at it:) I study navigation at Maritime Academy and if all goes well I will ged my enginer degree this fall. But my hear, my passion will allways stay with space program and I hope some day I will be part of it becouse there you can make a diffrence. Good luck to all of you and I wish You save return to Earth.
It would be more than honour if You could send me one word from space: [email received]

A beautiful post on the subject of world peace. It is one thing to sit in your living room and muse about the world, it is another to look outside and see the whole world. I wish we all could see our beautiful planet from your perspective. One world, one people. If only we could accomplish it.
My wife would mutiny if there were no makeup!
Best wishes
Larry

Hi, I think it’s a terribly good idea to let astronauts run for presidency. Though you didn’t write anything that I didn’t know before, you’ve managed to touch a string in my soul that makes an extraterrestial sound in my mind.
Thanks for giving me just a glimpse of space-consciousness.
-m*sh-

it’s great of you to share your experience with us on Earth. I am teacher, and one of my class is really international: 13 students, 7 nationalities, it’s a bit like the ISS on Earth. I do share your thoughts on getting to know the others language and culture. This could help to get a better world.
Best wishes for the rest of your trip.

Is the price of your trip worth it? Seems like a lot of people are a big deal out of that question. Personally, I would say no…the “profits” from your journey are worth far, far more than the money you paid. (Which, incidentally, is your business alone.)

• You are using the very significant publicity to spread messages of peace and cooperation. As a person with ties to two currently sparring nations, you have a unique perspective and are sharing a positive message, and people will believe you. Ya just can’t buy this kind of air-time!

• You are giving real hope to girls across the world. It may be hard for us to imagine in the USA, but women in many cultures are still treated as chattel. Your experience may open some eyes!

• You are sharing this wonderful experience with others. I don’t remember previous “space tourists” doing this. Maybe we can’t go, but your gift of communication is the next best thing.

• Allowing open comments on your blog is bringing together people from all over the globe. I just wish I could read Farsi (and Italian, and German, etc.) to know what some of the other posters are saying.

I’ve also heard many stories about your private generosity from people who have experienced it first-hand, to claim you are selfish is just wrong.

You’ve given me some great insights and plenty to think about, I feel like I should be paying you!

Back in 4 of July i get realy hooked up to the Nasa WEB-TV when i follovd the secound “return to flight” mission STS 121 from ther liftoff four the mission to the International Space Station,and then the mission STS-115,i have vissit the website nearly every day….. :o) (Computer on job too…)

It`s amaising to look at the ISS and now it`s flying arround up there on the sky….!!! Built by humans…! and the orbiter to,what a spacecraft…

From the lost of Colombia back in 2003 i follow the space program time to time,and its good to see how nasa have take the following report and The Columbia Accident Investigationnd , and built the “new” nasa like it is today….great!!

Back in Norway ,not fare away from my homeplace,we have the plase “Geiranger” who have a lot`s of tourist`s every day….Its maby not like the ISS you are on,(as a tourist),but maby you can see it from up there..?? :o) Its a haven on Earth here in Norway…

I hope you and the crew enjoy the time on the ISS,and in the meentime we can see you on the WEB-TV …Have a nice stay,it`s fun to watch…:o)

My dream-come-true,
Dear Anoushe,
I wish you had my eyes with you. Instead I wish I can see your complete photo album (with high resolution) in your website when you came back.
Enjoy every seccond of your great journey.
We all wish you health.

Hi Anoush, your BLOG brings to life so many interesting experiences for all uf us left back here on “Spaceship Earth”.
Hopefully we’ll be as good as KPAX one day! It’s awesome to see you fulfilling such a magnificant dream, and it inspires me too. I have recently decided to look for the best way to spend the next chapter of my life, helping others. Your writing has made me now look to see what the a “bigger picture” may be so that I can have a greater impact than what I can do just hands on, shoulder to shoulder in the trenches”, so to speak. (Not that that won’t also come into play, but I’ll be looking for root causes too, now).
Best wishes and Godspeed for your safe return with the rest of your “space adventurers”!

I’ve enjoyed reading your blogs and also the comments from others who have been touched by your endeavour so far. You sound like a sci-fi kinda gal so here is a quote that may have some meaning….. From the movie “Contact” by jodie foster when getting passed over for the big ride because she chose to tell the truth….
(“Funny, I thought the world was what we make of it?”)

You’ve made the world a little bit better, I think. Good luck and have a safe trip home

Dear Anoush,
Impressed…what you are experimenting now is priceless, you deserve respect for staying simple and letting us share what you feel, see, do far above our heads. Maybe some nice thoughts and prayer to end conflicts on earth from space are more powerful than ours down here…Please have a pray in that sense for me then ! Take good care of yourself, enjoy and may the force be with you. Respectfully, Arnaud from France.

Hi Anousheh,
I am following up your blog every night. I have informed my friends who are from different nations about your blog and all of them are enjoying. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Most of the people won’t have chance to do the same as you did, but by reading your blog and perhaps your book which I hope you wite when you are back, will have a good imagine of how life is up there.
Thank you Anousha and cheers for your family who are in support of you.
Take care,
Shahram

Hello Anousheh!
How much fun you must be having in space! My daughter and I have been watching the flight ever since we discovered Nasa TV. We also are very interested in space exploration. Thanks, and have a safe trip home.

My family and I are absolutely thrilled to follow and read about your trip into space. You are sooooooo lucky and we envy you. Best wishes, wonderful stay and a safe trip home for you and all the astronauts and cosmonauts.

The first time I heard your voice was when you had an interview with a TV program called Night Sky in Iran before your launch to space. Your views about our planet, space trips and people of the world were great. I felt you are a very kind woman. You also said that when you would be in ISS above Iran, people could talk with you by ham radio. When I heard that I became very sad because there is no ham radio or devices like that in Iran. I wish I could talk to you by a ham radio and told you how worthwhile you are for Iranians. I have always read your notes in the weblog daily since you went to space. I’m nearly at your age (39) and live in Iran. I hope you read my text one day.

Dear Anousheh,
You held with you the dreams of many little boys and girl.. and others not so little..!!
As we say “Carpe Diem”, seize the day and please, think about us, poor human ;).
La France est aussi avec toi !!
Another “K-Pax” girl
Amélie
Ps : sorry for the mistakes, i’m french and i’m not very fluent in english !!

Anousheh – Your blog is awesome. Until reading your comments, I could only imagine what your experiences could be like. I love watching NASA TV, seeing the thrilling pictures from space and following the dialogue and details of the astronauts EVA’s and schedules, but reading your accounts each day gives me a more personal picture of what it must be like to “visit” space. Thank you!

As a teacher in the inner city here in Los Angeles, California, I have to tell you my students and I have bonded like never before during this flight of yours. It demonstrates some incredible principles! Discussing your mission with my students has certainly made me a better teacher and my students more eager to learn!

[…] Anousheh Ansari continues her sojourn on the International Space Station (previously: $20,000,000 and a dream). She is keeping a blog where you can read about life without gravity, in very close quarters. Happy stuff like this: Most veteran cosmonauts speak English and most veteran astronauts speak Russian. The funny thing I have observed sometimes is when a cosmonaut asks a question in English, his astronaut counterpart will answer in Russian. This is what I call mutual respect! If only we had more people practice it on Earth, we would have a much more peaceful place to live. […]

Anousheh – Surely you are aware how far your experience is reaching with this blog. It is a wonderful thing. I’m the project manager for the Space Frontier Foundation’s Teachers in Space project, and I talk to alot of teachers every day. They are well aware of your interest in education. Your flight is felt by them with an immediacy not present for a very long time. I think this is different than just having the knowledge of it. On behalf of my project I would like to compliment you on how you have shared space with us. Somehow, you have brought us closer together. It is quite a gift, for which I thank you.

[…] Anousheh Ansari continues her blogging (or pseudo-blogging or whatever you want to call it), discussing life on the station and watching the Earth from the station. The best part,” however, she notes, “and by far my favorite view up here is the view of the universe at night. The stars up here are unbelievable… It looks like someone has spread diamond dust over a black velvet blanket.” […]

…all i can say, Anousheh, is that your posts always bring me to tears of thankfulness, hope, and opportunity… thank you for doing this and sharing it with all with us… you are a rare gift to all of humanity and i thank God that i have been blessed to witness this moment… Thanks Again…

I love your blog so much! It gives me the chance to get closer to the aim I follow. It is the same like yours. I know how hard the training is to become an astronaut, because in this summer I got the best view in my life of the insides of the NASA.
What you are doing up in the space supports my acting for the future.
Never stop your work because the new generations will need them.

Your pictures are all over the internet, I have Co-workers coming up to me and telling me how fascinating it is to have an Iranian woman in space as a first female tourist ever gone to space,I wanted to thank you for not hiding your background as you know north American’s have this negative image of Iranian and mostly Iranian women, I think it is amazing to see you wearing Iranian flag as well as American flag on your jacket and most of all to see dreams do come true regardless of how hard it might be to achieve it.

Dear Anousheh,
I really proud of you as an Iranian and wish you the best.
As far az I watched your interview on channel4 of Iran I really decided to follow your goal.As you mentioned you had to learn Russian I decide to learn it since now.
Your picture above Iran was fantastic but I wish you willbe successfull to get from the surface of Iran.
with best wishes.
Pooyan, Mashhad

Hi Dearest Anoushe,
This is my second comment on your blog, the 1st comment is also the 1st comment on this dreamy post.
I understood so late to see the IIS when it passes from the Tehran sky. i know i was awake at morning , because of “Ramazan” and taking fast.
امیدوارم به سلامت با زمین بازگردید و آرزو میکنم که روزی شما رو در ایران و در جمع میلیونها هوادار خودتون ببینم.

I love these entries from someone who hasn’t been trained by a government to speak as the government would expect. You made me choke up with the promise of cooperative and understanding human endeavors and I agree about your observation that astronauts ought to be presidents. I met John Glen as both an astronaut and as a Senator and he was exactly what you want in a representative. But here is a thought. As a pr-requisite to leadership of a nation on earth, the leader must do a small tour, lkie you, in space, to gain a perspective (if not an understanding) on his or her responsibility. Now that would be a fabulous way to spend the UN budget in and for peace.

Thank you again for your wonderful blog enties and,of course, for making this fabulous trip for all of us.

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